shots. During games he would watch film
of himself at halftime to see how he could
improve in the second half. In 2008, he
even had Nike shave a few millimeters off
the bottom of his shoes to get a hundredth
of a second better reaction time.
Having a strong work ethic is right. It is
morally noble. It makes us better people
and benefits our ministries. But for us as
Christ-followers, there is a deeper issue
than working hard because it is right. And
that is the issue of stewardship. Rather
than talking about a strong work ethic, I
prefer to talk about a strong stewardship
ethic. We are not owners; we are stewards.
And as a steward, I am accountable for
that which has been entrusted to me. I
am a steward of my gifts, my finances,
my relationships, my time . . . and yes,
my ministry assignment. My highest
accountability is not to my supervisor but
to the Lord who has entrusted me with
my job.
As I read about Kobe Bryant’s work ethic,
I was struck by the internal drive that kept
pushing him year after year . But I was
most impressed by all the microsteps
he took to constantly improve his game
and make him one of the best to ever play
professional basketball.
Solutions • 17